Two Flames from the Same Hearth
by KHCrazy
Summary: When Lea is released from the Realm of Darkness, his sister Lierah has been waiting for him. She's been waiting for him to return from wherever he ran off to for the past eight years. What she doesn't know is that he wasn't kidnapped, he was taken to the despicable Organization XIII for his life span as a Nobody. When Lea comes knocking on Lierah's door, how will she react? - AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Kind of a 'what if' story. I'm not sure how I came up with this idea, but one day it just kind of popped into my head and I had to put it on paper. This is NOT a one-shot, I am planning to make chapters. Hence the reason this story ends as it does. Enjoy! **

**~KHC~**

* * *

Three sharp knocks on Lierah's front door made her jump up in fear. Over the past eight years there had been more than enough police visits. "I don't know!" Lierah yelled through the closed door. "Lea is gone!"

Silence. Hard, long, acid, silence. "He's gone."

Another knock, this time softer. "Come on, let me in," the voice was soft, alluring. A voice Lierah hadn't heard for many years, and never expected to hear again. She opened the door ajar. She peeked out, her bright bluish-green eye spotting another eye of the same hue. Slowly, almost cautiously, she opened the large mahogany door, to reveal a tall, skinny figure, with piercing red hair that spiked in all directions. His crooked smile was one Lierah knew only too well.

A small, choked scream came from her throat. "L-Lea!" her legs, or so it felt like, turned to jell-o. So instead of approaching him, she stood her ground like an idiot. Eventually, her legs found their strength and she advanced toward her older brother. She was wondering if she was asleep, and if this might be the trick of the mind? "You-You're _alive!" _she lifted her arms to wrap around his skinny frame. "You're alive." Suddenly, her eyes narrowed and she pulled away from Lea as if he were a dangerous animal. "How _dare _you didn't tell me earlier?!"

Lea laughed, and kissed the top of Lierah's head. "I missed you too, Lie."

* * *

"You will _never _know what I've been through, Lierah!" Lea yelled, setting his untouched cup of steaming liquid down forcefully.

"Why can't you just tell me, Lea? I'm here to help! Or, don't you trust your own sister anymore?" Lierah retorted, tears brimming up to her eyelashes. "Lea. Just tell me."

Lea looked away. His narrowed eyes portrayed a look of contempt. "You just don't seem to understand it, Lea, but I want to help." Lierah whispered.

More silence. More quiet, resentful, biting, silence. "What happened back there is out of both your and my control." Lea answered finally. "If you want the short story, though, here it is: I wasn't kidnapped. I was taken by evil monsters of darkness, whom consume hearts."—Lierah's hand flew to her mouth—"Don't worry, Lierah, I didn't die—and I was taken to a secret Organization called Organization XIII. It's probably disbanded by now, I guess. But that's besides the point. Anyway, they changed my name to Axel. Isa was there too, except his name was Saïx. During the time I was with Organization XIII, I made a friend, Roxas… but… he left." Lea's gaze lowered but he never stopped talking. "I was lonely. After Roxas left, we were ambushed. I gave my life for a boy, who looked just like him. Just like Roxas.. I didn't understand, at the time, that I had given my life until I felt myself sinking lower and lower, into the darkness."

"How are you back then?" Lierah asked, once Lea had finished.

"I found light in the darkest place, which allowed me to find an exit from the Realm of Darkness." He answered.

Lierah got up solemnly, but an excited smile soon crossed her face. "Just remembered—Oh, you wouldn't believe—She'll be so excited!" Lierah said in a flurry of words

"Who?" Lea asked, laughing a little.

"Oni! Oh, she'll be so excited to see you! She's missed you so much!"

"Ha, oh, her." Lea joked. Oni was his girlfriend. And, as Lea remembered her, she looked almost like… Roxas.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! More chapters coming soon! (Hopefully!)**

**~KHC~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Finally, chapter two is up! I actually quite like this chapter... I hope you do too! R&R please! **

**~KHC~**

* * *

Lierah stayed close to her brother's side as they made their way to Oni's house. It was only short, a walking-distance away. "When you were taken," Lierah was careful not to say, "kidnapped", because that hadn't apparently happened. "Oni came to me. She was so shaken up and worried about you." Lierah looked down at the ground and frowned. "I felt so bad for her, because we felt the same way, and there was nothing I could do to comfort her."

Lea bit inside his cheek. How much had he missed? He, at the beginning, hadn't realized how much he had hurt Lierah, and Oni at the same time. "At least I'm home now." He said cheerfully. "And Oni will be getting the best surprise of her life, got it memorized?"

Lierah laughed. "Yeah." She stopped at a large circular courtyard. She hesitated for only a second before leading Lea down the track leading west. "This way." They passed a cluster of apartment houses, until they came to a door at the end of the long line of accommodations. "Number 22. This is the place." Lierah smirked, and knocked hard on the large cherry-wood door. "If you want it to be a surprise, hide in those bushes there. Well, go on!" Lierah motioned urgently with her hands.

From inside, a voice called, "Coming!" Oni's pattering footsteps came to a sudden halt. "Oh, Lierah, hi." She unlatched the lock from the door and opened it. It swung open to a young girl of about twenty or twenty-one, barely a year older than Lierah herself. She was a little shorter than Lierah, at five-six. She had black hair in a bob, that obviously hadn't been done at all today, but Lierah thought it was prettier that way. It was styled in pretty layers and it fell over the right side of her face in bangs that didn't quite cover her eyes. Her eyes were the most gorgeous color of blue; it was like the rolling oceans of a tropical paradise.

Oni was dressed in a pair of pajamas. They were fuzzy long pants checkered red and white like a traditional picnic blanket. Dotted over the checks, were sock monkey heads. They fit her in a casual way. Her top was just a simple white tee shirt with a black zip-up jacket hastily pulled over it.

Oni was trying to concentrate on two things at once. One leg was blocking the doorway, and the other was holding her weight. Behind her leg barricade, a very excited black lab was whining with eagerness. "Lierah, what brings you here—Gypsy, sit!—on a Sunday?" The black lab whined one last time, and plopped her rump on the polished floor. Her tail thumped on the ground with tremendous force.

Lierah reached out to pet the dog's head and then straightened up to talk to Oni. "Oh, there's just someone I'd like you to meet…"

Oni laughed a little. "A new friend?"

"Not… Exactly. More like an old friend whose come out of the shadows…" Lierah answered, eyeing her friend carefully, examining her face.

Oni's eyes expanded as she inhaled sharply. Lierah could almost see the gears turning in Oni's head.

For fun, Lea rustled the bushes he was crouching in a few times. This caused Gypsy to practically onto all fours and Oni yelped, quickly covering her mouth afterwards.

"Oh, stop playing and come on out!" Lierah called.

With difficulty, Lea pulled himself from his squatting position and carefully examined the look on Oni's face. In the span of milliseconds, her expression changed from horror, to surprise, then settling on affection. How much her face had changed… It had grown much more mature and undeniably more beautiful.

Lea pulled himself up onto the raised porch. "You've changed, On." He smirked playfully.

_"I've changed? _Look at you!" this threw Oni into a fit of laughter. "Lea, I never thought I'd see you again! Your family and I tried taking your case to court, but they closed it after a month! Oh!" she jumped into Lea's open arms. Gypsy leapt onto Lea as well, her forelegs resting on his hip. She panted openly, and banged her tail against the stiff railing.

When Lea and Oni separated from their embrace, Lea took Oni's hand in his and she offered him to step inside her apartment.

Once they were in the Oni's living quarters, she sat Lierah on a single couch and Lea on a double. Gypsy jumped up next to Lea and drooled all over his jeans. He didn't seem to mind as he pet the dog's head affectionately. From the kitchen, Oni was calling to them. "Lea, do you want anything to eat? Drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'm fine, On." Lea laughed. "Though I could go for a water."

"Okay. Lierah, do you want anything?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"I'm fine too, Oni. We just want to talk!" Lierah laughed a little.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Oni pattered over, shooing Gypsy from her seat, and she scurried around the side of the couch and sat down next to Lea.

"So… What have I missed?" Lea asked after he took a mouthful of water.

Thoughts raced through Lierah's mind. She exchanged looks with Oni that seemed to say, _Where do I begin?_ "Umm… you might want to get comfy. This'll take a while…"

* * *

**I hope you liked it! I just love how I'm ending these chapters... keeping you on the edge of your chair. :)**

**~KHC~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow. I'm absolutely hooked on this story... So I hope you are too. To anyone who reads this, PLEASE R&R. (:**

**~KHC~**

* * *

Lea leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His ears were tuned to his sister's voice. "Lea… when you left, mom and dad didn't know what to think. Maybe it didn't seem like it, but you were their everything." Lierah's lower lip trembled. "They…" Lierah doubled over and massaged her forehead. "They disconnected with the world, and…" she heaved a huge sigh. "about a couple of months later, they stopped eating… and then another month passed, and mom died."

Lea didn't know how to react. It sent a jolt through his body. He only stammered inaudibly. Finally, he found his voice. "What about dad?"

"I don't know. He left." A little whimper escaped her throat, which Lea had noticed she had been trying so hard to seal. "He's never come back. I don't even know if he began eating again. If he hadn't, then… Ugh, I don't know." Her hands moved from her forehead to her cheeks, which were tearstained. Lea hadn't realized that she had begun crying.

He moved over to his sister's side and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them in a brotherly way. "It's okay." He whispered. He was becoming choked up himself. He glanced over at Oni. She was staring at the ground and trying to hold back her own tears. Even Gypsy knew something was wrong. She fixed her stare on Lierah with pitiful big brown eyes. She whined and put her head on Lierah's lap.

"I'm all right, now." Lierah reassured. Her eyeliner was smeared but she was determined to wipe it off the bottom of her eyes with her thumbs.

Lea didn't believe a word of what his sister was telling him, but he slowly made his way back to where he was sitting.

"I was left orphaned. Sometimes, when I couldn't take it anymore, I'd come to Oni." Oni nodded in agreement.

"When the police wouldn't leave her alone, she'd come to me." Oni placed her hand on Lea's hand and looked into his eyes.

Lierah sniffed, trying to dry her tears further. "I got used to your absence, but the pain never left me. I thought of you every day."

"Lie… I'm so sorry I left you. If you want the truth," he paused, "I thought of you every day as well. No one knew about you, except Isa. And he knew it was a sensitive subject for me, and I think that it was sensitive for him too." Lea said this with complete genuineness.

Lierah let out a soft laugh. "Lea… It's not your fault that you left us. I know you didn't want to." There was an edge in her voice that Lea caught. The way she accepted his apology just sounded… selfish to him. He kept the thought to himself. He didn't blame her, but at least she could have been a little nicer.

The three sat in silence for a while. Lea was still trying to stumble over Lierah's reaction to his request for forgiveness, while both Oni and Lierah were exchanging glances and wondering what to bring up next.

Finally, Lierah spoke, "So you said Isa was with you?" His name sent a shock down her spine. It had been so long since she had spoken it. His face was slightly blurred in her memory. But she remembered his blue hair, and how it was cut to his jaw. She remembered his pale skin and the smile that always danced upon his lips. And, especially, his bright, marine-colored eyes. How long had it been since she'd seen his face? Eight and a half years? More?

Lea's voice brought her back. "Yeah. Saïx—I mean Isa, changed so much. More than you could imagine."

Lierah's heart was caught in her throat. "You mean—he's… maybe, if he's back" Lierah was thinking out loud. And, finally, the obvious answer came to her, "—Did he come to the Realm of Darkness, too?" Lierah was desperate for answers. Other than Oni and Lea, Isa was her best friend. She could go to him for anything, things that her parents, Lea, or Oni couldn't help with. And one day… _Poof! _He disappeared out of thin air. That's the way it seemed to Lierah, at least.

Lea stayed quiet. Maybe he didn't want to tell her anything she didn't want to hear. Oni had now taken a hold of Lea's hand, and held it tightly with both of hers. Finally, after what seemed like eons, he replied, "Yes… but, maybe he just hasn't found a way out yet."

"He _has _to." Lierah said, but it seemed more like a plea to him, if he could he hear her, wherever he was…

* * *

Darkness. That's all there was. Horrible, concealing, choking, darkness. Saïx shivered. All he wanted was to again be whole. But _how? _And when would the light shine through for him? He wanted to be Isa again. He wanted back the sense of humor that had been destroyed when he had become a Nobody. He wanted to see Axel again. Or was it Lea now?

Everything was mixed around and put topsy-turvy. He didn't know what to think, even though sitting on the Dark Margin caused his mind to wander. But there was one thing his mind would always wander back to. The one thing had been one thing blocking his mind for the past few years, the one vital thing that he needed to see again. It was a girl, _the _girl.

The one who helped him, when others couldn't. The one who made him laugh, when others' attempts were futile. His best friend. The one, that now he could openly admit, he loved. And he knew, deep inside, that she hand loved him back.

Lierah.

* * *

**Yep.. another weird ending. **

**~KHC~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow. Sorry! I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, and I haven't been able to get to fanfiction! I've also had really, really bad writer's block. *sweatdrop.* Besides, I hope you enjoy this chapter! R&R PLEASE! **

**~KHC~**

* * *

They sat in Oni's house for the next hour or two, Lierah telling Lea of all the funny, exciting, and happy things that had happened in the past eight years. Her tears of sorrow dried, and were replaced with tears of laughter.

As Lierah wet to catch her breath, a pound on the door startled them all. Oni, who had been smiling a second ago, was now petrified. Even Gypsy recoiled. It was if she knew who was at the door. "Lea…" she murmured, not taking her eyes off the door, "Lierah, just stay here, okay?"

She acted like the door was a pipe bomb that would explode at any minute. With a jerk, Lierah remembered, all of a sudden—

"Lea, this is my—"

"Oni, who's this?" the boy's voice was soft yet forceful. Lierah turned around. He had a large build, and an average face. He had wide brown eyes, and eyebrows that bent down, so most of the time he looked relatively angry. His lips curled up at the sides. His smile looked ridiculing. His hair was scraggly and blonde, and it spiked at the ends. He wore baggy camouflage cutoff capris, and a grey vest with a black tank top underneath. Scrawled on the tank top was a coarsely drawn white skull and crossbones. Around his neck, he wore a yellow-orange star shaped necklace.

He wore average sneakers with camouflage fabric on it, interlacing shoelaces, and white tips.

"Oh…" Oni's neck went red. "This is Lea, my—" she cleared her throat, "_friend_. And, Lea, this is my," she hesitated for what seemed like forever before saying, "boyfriend, Hayner."

"A friend, huh?" Hayner asked with suspicion.

"Yeah…" Oni smiled, though it was forced. "He's a really good friend."

"If he's such a great friend, why haven't I met him before?" Hayner began to round on Lea.

"He's been…" Oni met eyes with Lea, "…Out of town, for the past eight years."

"Yeah," Lea piped up, "Home sweet home right? Nothing like Radiant Garden." A large smile crossed his face, and that made Oni light up, too.

"Yeah… nothing like it…" Hayner glared at Lea for a while, before turning to Oni. "Hey, babe, make anything for lunch?"

"Uh, I wasn't expecting you home. But there's some potato soup in the fridge and some bacon still in the pan." Oni muttered.

Hayner went to raid his girlfriend's kitchen without even thanks.

"Oni!" Lea raised his voice. "What were you thinking?" Lea still felt protective, even after all those years. He felt cheated on, because in his mind, he was still dating Oni.

Oni's nose turned red and her eyes watered. "Lea, I never expected you to come back! My parents wanted me to move on!"

"They told you to forget?" Lea looked genuinely hurt.

Oni nodded, pressing her hand up to her mouth. "It was _hard _though, Lea! But I met Hayner, and I finally found happiness."

_"How _could a jerk like _that _make you _happy?" _Lea narrowed his eyes. Before Oni could answer, Lea turned to Lierah. "And _you! _What made you think that you wouldn't tell me? I'm her boyfriend, and this is something that I need to know!"

"LEA!" Lierah wailed. "Remember, you just got home! And I knew you wouldn't want to hear that Oni had found a new boyfriend immediately! I was meaning to tell you, I swear!"

And suddenly, Hayner stormed out of the kitchen and into the lounge room, crumbs hanging off the sides of his mouth. It would have been a comical sight, if the fire in his eyes weren't so intense. "You mean to tell me that you dated him, and I was a backup?"

Oni flinched, because she knew what was coming. And suddenly, Lea realized, Hayner was about to _hit _her. Before Hayner's hand could come down on Oni's shoulder, Lea caught his wrist. _"Don't you _dare _touch her!"_

"Oh yeah? And why not, lover boy?"

"You don't have the right to abuse her like that! There's no way!"

Hayner yanked his hand out of Lea's grasp. "You can't tell me what and what not to do! She knows the expense for keeping secrets. And… this secret is _very _big, so why not punish her harder?"

Hayner raised his hand again, but this time neither Lea nor Lierah were fast enough to react. As if in slow motion, Hayner's palm came down on Oni's quivering back, and it made a loud snap even through the jacket.

Oni dropped to her knees. She whimpered. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Sure." Hayner said, crossing his arms. He stood straight and tall, and he looked like he had won the Nobel Peace Prize or something. He stomped over to Lea and Lierah. "Now, both of you, out! I need to talk to Oni _alone. _And take your stupid dog!"

Hayner picked up Gypsy by her collar, and threw her halfway across the room. The impact to the ground made the lab whimper and scamper to the door. Lierah had to practically push Lea out of the house.

A sudden gust of wind slammed the door shut. But it may have been Hayner. He also locked the door. Lierah pressed up to the mahogany, praying, hoping, to hear something. She heard Oni screaming. Not in pain but it was as if she were pleading. She was pleading him not to do something.

Footsteps were getting closer… it was possible that Hayner was coming out here to make sure they had left.

"Lea!" Lierah whispered urgently, "Hayner knows that we're still here! We have to leave, now!"

Lea stayed where he was, staring out into the courtyard. "Get _up!" _Lierah said angrily, kicking his lower back. Lea's hair rose slightly as he grudgingly got up.

Gypsy raised her head off her paws and tilted her head. She was trained never to leave the front porch. "Come on, girl!" Lierah had to coo continually before Gypsy trotted off the front steps, her tail in between her legs.

* * *

Back at the house, Lea was up in his _very _outdated bedroom. He stared at the roof, covered in pictures of models and posters of cars. He was too angry to punch something; too upset to cry. His girlfriend—his sweet, beautiful, loving girlfriend, was being physically abused: daily, most likely. Lea rolled onto his stomach, and let out a big huff. He heard his sister's voice from down the stairs. "Are you ever going to come down from there?" She paused, "Listen, I didn't know she was getting abused. Maybe we can go back in an hour or so, when Hayner has left. Lea…? Lea! If you can hear me answer me!"

A clatter of dog nails pattered up the steps. Sniffing, Gypsy nosed into Lea's room, wagging her tail and dragging her nose along the wooden floor. Soon, the black lab began to bark. "Brruf! Brruf!" Lierah ran up the stairs, two at a time. She found Gypsy leaning out the window, barking to the wind. Lierah pushed back the dog and stared down. From the two-story drop, Lea had jumped from the window and flattened the bushes.

He had gone to save Oni.

* * *

**Before you say anything, _NO_, I DO NOT have anything against Hayner. In fact, he's one of my favorite Twilight Town characters! But I just wanted a toughie to date Oni. My backstory for them was Oni wanted someone strong, because at the time she thought that strength would protect her from the emotions and grief that she was feeling. _I HOPE ALL THE HAYNER FANGIRLS OUT THERE KNOW THAT I AM NOT DOING THIS TO MAKE YOU MAD, I AM JUST TRYING TO BUILD ON THE PLOT AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TO HELP PUT BUILDING BLOCKS ON THE BACKSTORIES ON ALL THE CHARACTERS. OK, THANKS._**

**~KHC~**


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